Two killed, four injured in Ecuador pro-government rally

QUITO (Reuters) - Two supporters of Ecuador's president Rafael Correa were killed on Monday and four more suffered stab wounds during a campaign rally almost two weeks before a presidential election that the leftist leader is expected to win comfortably.

"Crazy person stabs seven AP people while they were waiting for the President. Two have been killed," Correa said in his Twitter account, referring to supporters of the ruling Alianza Pais political movement, known as AP.

In a video shown on local TV networks a man could be seen breaking through a rally of a few hundred pro-government supporters and attacking them with a large knife.

"Before the president was due to arrive ... we can see in these images how this person stabs the people that were standing up front repeatedly," said Interior Minister Jose Serrano at a press conference in Quito.

He said that four people were wounded and that police had arrested the person who they think carried out the attack.

The incident occurred ahead of a campaign rally in Quininde, a town in the western Esmeraldas province.

"Best wishes to the families of the Quininde victims. The video of the attack is spine-chilling," Correa said.

Correa, an ally of socialist Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, is expected to win the February 17 vote. Polls give him between 50 percent and 60 percent of votes, at least 30 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival, Guillermo Lasso, a former banker.
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